On September 6th, when the British line was several miles
south of the Marne, General Joffre gave the order for a general attack on the enemy. The right moment had arrived. The Germans had just discovered the existence of the 6th French Army skilfully secreted on their right flank, and had recognized that the entry of Paris was already a fond delusion. On September 4th General von Kiuck had given orders for his famous march across the British front in a south-easterly direction. The battle of the Marne, which thus began on September 6th, lasted till the evening of the 10th. The Germans were driven back to the Soissons-Reims line, "with a loss of thousands of prisoners, many guns, and enormous masses of transport." The German movements proved that the German General Staff had indeed recognized that the advance of the 6th French Army and the British change of front had shattered the whole German plan. The pursuit of the Germans did not cease till the valley of the Aisne was reached. On the morning of September 13th the British troops "made good" the Aisne. In other words, they crossed the river that day at several points. But it was still uncertain whether the enemy was only resting temporarily on the hills north of the river, or intended a solid resistance.
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